


Entr'Acte: Fight And Flight

by Cerdic519



Series: Elementary 221B [84]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Supernatural
Genre: 221B Baker Street, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Anger, Caring, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, False Accusations, Johnlock - Freeform, Justice, Lawyers, London, M/M, Newspapers, Scandal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 05:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16738420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerdic519/pseuds/Cerdic519
Summary: ֍ Doctor John Watson has to leave the country!





	Entr'Acte: Fight And Flight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Centaurlips](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Centaurlips/gifts).



_[Narration by Doctor John Watson, M.D.]_

Four days after our return from the Isle of Man I was called out to treat one Mrs. Charlotte Fforbes-Black, widow of the then recently-departed Conservative member for parliament for Derbyshire, Mr. James Fforbes-Black. Apparently the woman had thought herself pregnant by her late husband which at fifty would have been surprising (and given her appearance and general demeanour, not far short of miraculous!), and it had taken me a long time to convince her that she was not. Undertaking a physical examination of her was bad enough without her 'tripping' and nearly falling on me; fortunately I dodged the behemoth and she ended up sprawled on the carpet. I mentioned her to Sherlock that evening and even he shuddered; I could only hope that some other unlucky doctor at the practice drew the short straw the next time she fancied herself in need of medical help.

Everything went to Hell in a handcart the next day when 221B Baker Street was befouled with the arrival of one Mr. Jason Tucker, Mrs. Fforbes-Black’s solicitor. Apparently the woman was claiming that I had 'fondled' her during his examination the day before (in all honesty I would sooner have 'fondled' her pet pug!) and that she was suing me for assault! Sherlock was at first incredulous and then furious at such spurious accusations, and it was one of the rare times that I had ever seen him lose his temper. The vile Mr. Tucker fairly sprinted out of our rooms and I took great pleasure in watching from the window as Sherlock pursued him some way down Baker Street! The litigious bastard!

Although Sherlock immediately contacted his mother and secured her support in setting the family's expensive legal team against the foul Mrs. Fforbes-Black and her vile legal lap-dog, I was deeply worried. That I could disprove the accusations against me was not so much the issue, especially when Miss Charlotta Bradbury called on us that same day (having of course heard of our troubles). She offered Middleton's services free of charge and I owed her much for the kindness. No, it was the damage that I knew this would do to my reputation. Even when – if - I was cleared it would be like Peter Greenwood's brother Rory, losing countless clients because the snide newspapers would doubtless mutter something along the lines of 'no smoke without fire' (even if Sherlock had growled that any of them who did would be his family's legal team's next target!). Rory Greenwood was still striving to get back to where he had been before the Brackhampton case had wrecked his professional life and I dreaded the thought of having to go through all that myself.

One brief moment lightened the gloom; I learned that Sherlock's eldest brother Mycroft, in an act of stupidity that had been incredible even by his 'standards', had voiced his disagreement with Sherlock's mother's supporting me and she had promptly boxed his ears! When the obnoxious Mr. Bacchus Holmes had visited one time and looked like he was about to raise the subject, Sherlock mentioned that the Incident of the Under-Housemaid might just be 'accidentally' passed on to Mother that same day. I had not known the lesser spotted the better lounge-lizard could turn that shade of red!

It took barely a few hours for the efficient Miss Bradbury to discover that the vile Mrs. Fforbes-Black had tried this ramp when her first husband, a bank clerk, had died, and had successfully ruined a fellow doctor gaining herself (and her legal partner in crime) a considerable sum in the process. Sherlock after consultation with me demanded that she quit the country and sign over the bulk of her wealth to her step-daughter Anne, to be run by independent lawyers on the latter's behalf for the next five years until she reached twenty-one or else he would ruin the harridan and take everything that she had (I also made sure to ask that she recompense her first victim). The girl was already being raised by Mrs. Fforbes-Black's sister Mrs. Woodbridge as her mother had thus far shown absolutely no interest in her.

The newspaper coverage was as bad as I had feared and I grew steadily more depressed as the days passed even when my tormentor agreed to the terms which included a full apology in all the main London newspapers. Unfortunately as I had guessed it would this simply led to the 'no smoke without fire' thing and worse, there were no major stories or scandals to distract them so my name remained on or around the front pages for far longer than I had hoped. I knew that Sherlock was worried for me because he refused to take on any new cases at this time, but all I could seem to do was sit in 221B and wait for the storm to die down.

֍

“Do you remember me mentioning that there may be a case Abroad that would require my attention?” Sherlock asked one morning over breakfast. 

I had just handed him half my bacon as usual. I nodded and stared dully at the newspaper, barely even registering the front page. 

“I would have thought that that was over and done with by now”, I said.

“It has instead become rather more serious”, he said. “As in urgent. As in needing action this very day. Would you be able to come with me?” 

“Of course”, I said unhesitatingly. “Where is it? France?”

“The case involves us travelling to Heligoland in the German Ocean”, he said. “I am sorry. I know that you do not like sea-crossings so we could go via Dover and Calais if you would prefer. That would cut the time spent at sea by half.”

“What is it about?” I yawned.

“I do not know as yet”, he admitted. “Bacchus did not of course go into details but his message was of great urgency even by his standards so it must be bad if not dreadful.”

I should say at this point that it always warmed me probably rather more than it really should have done as to how annoyed the lounge-lizard was whenever Sherlock insisted on bringing me into any case. And judging from the faint beginnings of the smile on his face he knew that full well. 

“Besides”, he said, “he knows I do not undertake cases without you. If he has a problem with that I am quite prepared to tell him where to shove it. Or to demonstrate if necessary!”

I smiled at that.

“I would be delighted to go”, he said. “A change would do me good.”

I had no idea when he said those words as just how our relationship would indeed be changed by our own 'Grand Tour'. For good.....

֍


End file.
